HAW and Rieter Foundation Award Best Student Smart Machine

Winterthur/Wädenswil ZH – Two students at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences have extended the measurement of optical density into the ultraviolet range and built a machine for this purpose. This work was carried out by the Winterthur Chamber of Commerce (HAW) and Joh. Jacob Rieter Foundation has now been honored.

(CONNECT) The HAW and the Johann Jacob Rieter Foundation of the Winterthur spinning technology company Rieter have honored the best student work as part of the Smart Machines cluster initiative. The prize has been awarded annually since 2021 and is endowed with CHF 10,000. It aims to strengthen the exchange of knowledge between the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW ) and the business community and to contribute to value creation and job creation with concrete projects.

According to the press release, this year's winners are Alan Lützelschwab and Kevin Gertsch. The complete smart machine they have built brings optical density (OD) measurements from the usual measuring range of 600 nanometers into the ultraviolet range of 200 to 400 nanometers. OD measurements quantify the light absorption of a sample and provide information about substance concentrations or cell growth, for example in food production or biotechnology. The extension into the UV range enables the detection of harmful cell waste products and offers new feedback designs for bioreactors.

This machine developed by the two ZHAW students closes a gap: Until now, there has been no market-ready system for reliable UV-OD measurements or automated dilution processes. Her Bachelor's thesis is now developing an autonomous prototype system for the ZHAW Wädenswil that automates OD measurements and provides new data sets for cell health - as proof of concept for future intelligent bioreactors in research and medicine. ce/mm

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